In-short -
YES..!
We are getting asked more and more frequently technical questions regarding fire doors.
We must stress that answering many of these questions over the phone or, via email is not actually always possible. We can provide some generic advice and guidance in these forms, however, to answer the majority of your questions with the best kind of accuracy, we would either:
1. Need to have conducted your fire risk assessment inspection (FRA) or,
2. Be officially contracted to conduct your fire door inspection survey (FDIS)
Thus - we have provided clear guidance below PLUS in our online 'features page - link below'
Fire Door Inspection Survey Report & GuidanceSo, to what extent and when do I need an 'Fire Door Inspection Survey'?Fire Risk Assessment:
Many FRA companies are simply advising the client in their FRA reports that you need a fire door inspection survey as generic guidance.
This can be for many 'poor' reasons such as:
1. Lack of experience & knowledge of fire doors and their associated fire systems?
2. Providing a cheap quote and expecting fire door survey business?
3. Providing a quick-in & quick-out fire risk assessment inspection service?
4. Not having asked to view a suitable sample of fire doors, so as to guide you suitably?
The above are all poor reasons for NOT providing you with good advice within your FRA report and just simply saying you need a 'fire door inspection survey'.
Here are some 'suitable' reasons for recommending a 'fire door inspection survey':
1. The premises is large or complex in layout, thus 'FDIS' is an separate service altogether
2. Many fire doors are poorly installed or maintained in your building premises
3. Your building may be listed or historic and further expert guidance is required
4. Your residents or committee did not allow access to inspect a sample of flat door-sets
An good example of how our FRA can save you money, whilst increasing FDIS knowledge..!
Example 1: A. N. Other Company:
A small block of flats fire risk assessment advised an individual 'fire door survey report' for each flat entrance door-set within the block of flats and provided that answer as an generic answer to all the blocks of flats entrance door-sets throughout each building assessed.
There were 4x flats over two floors. Access to sample flats per block was provided.
The flats were circa 1970's & purpose built (
as all 10x blocks).
No other fire door information was provided within the fire risk assessment, except to advise an 'fire door survey' for each flat entrance door-set was required. e.g.
40x flat door surveys..!
Most companies quoting were either more than the FRA per block or, equal to the FRA per door-set. Thus, the cost was far exceeding the risk, or was it?
In this instance, it was NOT good advice and the fire risk assessor should have checked at the least, 1x sample flat entrance door-set (per block), on the day.
Following the inspection, they should have also provided more specific guidance & advice within the FRA. Following their FRA report, the landlords, leaseholders and managing agents were all at cross-hairs over who is responsible and what to do next?
We were then alerted as many flat owners were calling-us and asking for an 'fire door survey report' for their flat entrance door-sets. Whilst we could have charged and received £150.00 per flat entrance fire door inspection survey, we cordially advised that we should conduct an NEW & UPDATED Fire Risk Assessment - both legally & suitably.
Providing 40x flat entrance door-set inspection surveys was not practical or, client cost-effective.
Answers below -
MG Fire Safety Group -
Fire Risk Assessment Booked & Fire Door Guidance:
Our guidance - We were booked & conducted our fire risk assessment inspections.
Access was granted to 1x flat entrance door-set per block. Pre-arranged with residents.
We also surveyed the flat doors accessed for the 'legal standards' required to be met.
By doing so, we were able to provide both verbal guidance to the committee management residents on-the-day PLUS our fire risk assessment report also provided clear guidance on what was required for the sample flat entrance door-sets and was to be reflected uniformly throughout each of the 'blocks of flats' flat entrance door-sets.
This included 'immediate action' requirements for all door-sets, as well as 'further action' requirements for door-sets, that could be managed over the course of the next 2 - 3 years.
Our report also provided example committee management letters to email to residents/ leaseholders, as well as detailed guidance on what makes a fire door a fire door.
Providing the residents with valuable knowledge to enable them to action the fire door requirements themselves. Thus, no fire door survey was required (
except from the residents).
Of-which, we provided the information to allow the residents to manage their fire door requirements both suitably & legally, saving residents money whilst also increasing their fire safety knowledge.
4x flats FDIS @ £125.00 ea. = £500.00 per block = 10x Blocks = £ 5,000.00
Our FRA inspections are charged @ £ 500.00 ea. (minimum per block).
We provided an FRA discount, removing fire door survey costs & legal issues via our fire risk assessment inspection report c/w fire door guidance & advice. Saving LIFE, TIME & STRESS!
Example 2:
Residential Use in High Wycombe - Hotel c/w Council Homeless Tenants:
A Hotel owner had received an '
Fire Enforcement Action Notice' placed upon their premises.
He attempted to do what he thought was right but failed - (even as an property developer).
The notice was not understood by the owner or his fire alarm contractor.
As a result -
We were then called-out to conduct an fire risk assessment for the Hotel premises.
We identified the enforcement notice requirements through terminologies used by the fire & rescue services, as well as the technical specifications detailed and as such, advised of the necessary measures to take & works required, to enable compliance & thus - enable the Hotel to - '
Remain Open'. All clearly detailed within our Fire Risk Assessment report.
The owner then asked us to remove several items from our provided & legal FRA report.
The owner reasons were 'why are you discussing certain subjects when the fire service have not even mentioned it'? We clearly advised, the fire service are not doing your fire risk assessment, they are expecting to see an suitable & sufficient FRA report provided.
In-short, the Hotel was a death trap for vulnerable persons and guests alike, fire spread through lack of fire door installation, maintenance & management was expected - The owner did not realise, we were actually keeping his Hotel open by providing such clear guidance in our fire risk assessment.
Otherwise, the Hotel would have been shut-down immediately via an 'Prohibition Notice'.
In this instance, an Fire Door Inspection Survey was most certainly required. WHY?
1. All fire doors were very poorly fitted & frames were non-compliant for doors in-place
2. Door hinges and other hardware to the fire doors were ALL incorrect type & poorly fitted
3. Smoke seals and intumescent strips where fitted, were poorly fitted & rating not confirmed
4. 1x fire door had been moved/ re-sited during the recent refurbishment
5. 1x fire door was also required to contain the 3-storey single stairway and fire escape route
While the owner was unhappy, we know if our report had not been filed to the Fire & Rescue Services, the premises would have been shut-down. As such, the Hotel was given time to work through the higher risks noted in the FRA report. A fire door survey would further ensure, any works conducted correctly this time around should SAVE LIFE & deliver Contingency.
That is what we do..! - Save LIFE & deliver business CONTINGENCY..!
Example 3:
Residential Use in Reading - House In Multiple Occupation (HMO):
A new landlord was refurbishing her house to a change of use from private residential, to an house in multiple occupation aka. HMO. The landlord had been wise and applied to the council (LABC) for planning permission for the change of use.
The LABC provided good guidance as to what was expected, whilst not a full report, nevertheless, detailed enough for the landlord to contact us for an fire risk assessment.
As mentioned above, some companies just generically advise an 'FDIS'.
However, we assessed each new door and doors yet to be fitted and provided clear and detailed guidance on what was needed for new doors, where they were needed and changes to some of the current doors fitted as part of our fire risk assessment report.
Long story short -The LABC & the Local Council Authority approved the license based on our guidance & changes advised in our FRA report - The premises now operates as an HMO.
(
with legal fire doors where required - all now fitted perfectly I might add)..!
Fire doors can be a difficult subject for some, as costs are invariably involved -but we as professional fire risk assessors will only tell you what is legally required by-law to HELP you.
We consider your cost implications as well as LIFE SAFETY - Thus, you know you are receiving the most current and up-to-date impartial Fire Safety Consultancy.
Professional & Legal Fire Risk Assessment - Inspection & Report?
Commercial Fire Risk Assessment & Residential Fire Risk AssessmentMG Fire Safety GroupEmail:
info@mgfiresafetygroup.co.ukTel: 0800 999 8595